Pharrell On Music Industry Racism: “They Don’t Have To Call You The N-Word To Be Racist”

Pharrell discussed ongoing problems in the music industry and more during his recent interview with The Breakfast Club.

Pharrell Williams dropped by The Breakfast Club to promote Hidden Figures, which he helped to produce and score. During the 40-minute discussion Pharrell also spoke about other pressing topics, including persistent racism and sexism in the music industry.

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"They don't have to call you the N-word to be racist," Pharrell explained. "It's a much deeper conversation. We work in a business where it is OK to own other people's masters. That's insane. That's like you owning my ID and telling me when I can and can't cross the street, and when I can eat, and when I should pay my taxes. That's the business we're in in the music industry. That will soon change. Everybody should own their masters. If major labels wanna do deals with artists to partner with them, great. Partner with me. But don't own me."

He also mentioned that artists signed to his i am OTHER record label retain ownership of all their masters. Watch the full interview above; Pharrell's comments about music industry racism come at around the eight-minute mark.